An upgraded health facility in Bosset, supported by Australia’s Incentive Fund, is significantly improving access to essential and emergency health care for remote communities in Middle Fly District, Western Province.
Bosset Health Centre has been upgraded to a level 3 health center, increasing service delivery and support for the population catchment of 14,000 people along the remote Middle Fly in Western Province.
Related news: https://incentivefund.org/improved-health-facility-at-bosset-increases-survival-rate-for-locals/
The health center also serves as a referral center for patients from Boboa and Obo Health Centers, with only critical cases referred to Kiunga General Hospital.
The upgrade fulfils a longstanding commitment by the Western Province Health Steering Committee, which over a number of years has sought to expand the then Bosset Sub-Health Centre – first built in the 1960s – to meet the needs of a growing population.
The Catholic Church Health Services Diocese of Daru-Kiunga successfully applied for funding from Australia’s Incentive Fund to deliver the upgrade.
The upgrade included:
•inpatient and outpatient departments
•emergency, observation and treatment rooms
•a laboratory
•a minor operating theatre
•a dental clinic
•wards for general care, malnutrition, tuberculosis (TB) and HIV
•a maternity wing
•staff housing.
The design meets Papua New Guinea’s National Minimum Standards for District Health Services, with modifications tailored to the region’s specific needs.
Critically, the upgrade included essential medical equipment, enabling children with pneumonia and other serious conditions to receive lifesaving treatment locally.
New maternity wards are equipped with running water, showers and delivery beds, providing safer and more dignified care for mothers and newborns.
Nurse and midwife, Dorothy Sepa, who has worked at the health center for three years, says the upgrades have transformed patient outcomes.
“The old facility lacked basic tools like oxygen concentrators and pulse oximeters, and patients with severe respiratory issues often succumbed,” Dorothy recalled.
Bosset Health Centre is also now a TB microscopy site, allowing TB to be diagnosed and treated onsite, including cases of multidrug-resistant TB (MDRTB).
A dedicated TB nurse oversees treatment and follow-up care.
Outreach programs, supported by partners such as World Vision – also with Australian Government support – are extending the reach of the health center by delivering TB treatment, immunizations and health education to surrounding communities.
The ongoing collaboration between the Catholic Church Health Services Diocese of Daru-Kiunga, the Western Province Health Steering Committee, and the Australian Government – delivered in close partnership with the Department of National Planning and Monitoring – demonstrates how targeted investments can strengthen health service delivery and improve outcomes in remote and hard-to-reach communities.